


The Price of Being Human

by LoliTurk



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, MT!Prompto, Tagging for body horror just to be safe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-08 22:08:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12263022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoliTurk/pseuds/LoliTurk
Summary: Story takes place post-Levaithan. After months of being missing, Prompto arrives at their doorstep dressed as an MT. He doesn't know what he'll find going home, but all he has left are the orders to protect Prince Noctis and an ache in his chest. He doesn't even know if he wants to be human anymore, but hey, at least he gets to see them one last time before he breaks.





	1. Chapter 1

Noct loved MTs. There were everywhere, incredibly violent, and provided hours of sadistic entertainment. There was something cathartic about beating evil robots into scrap. 

He gave a fallen MT a swift kick in the chest. It wasn’t helping like it used to.

Gladio bit his cheek, wanting to say something about his reckless behavior, but not wanting to start another fight. It had been three months since they last fought Ardyn, even longer since they lost Prompto. After his disappearance from the train, they had followed every lead they could and kept finding dead ends. Gladio couldn’t shake the feeling that they were on a wild goose chase to find a corpse. 

Their current string of clues lead them to an abandoned research facility in the frozen ass-crack of Niflheim. They had spent days trudging through snow and forest to get there and he hated every inch of the place. Most of the equipment had fallen apart after the scientists evacuated. 

Dusty MTs littered the building, quickly turning it into a guessing game of which ones would spring to life. Noct knew they were just machines, but there was something about seeing the half-assembled body parts that made his stomach turn. 

Even Noctis and Ignis were starting to lose hope. They took every file they could get their hands on and decided to move on. There was no point in freezing in this hellhole any longer. A hand on the prince’s shoulder caught his attention, “We’re not alone here.” Ignis said softly, tilting his head in the direction of the door. 

It moved close enough that he could hear it too. A slow, stumbling gait that mixed with the odd scrape of metal on concrete. He could have laughed. A lone MT unit still plodded along. Noct gave a dismissive shrug before remembering that Ignis couldn’t see it. “Let it rot, let’s just go.”

Ignis frowned, wanting to protest of leaving a dangerous machine loose but the siren’s call of hot cocoa was too strong.   
...  
The cabin was an hour away by snowmobile. Gladio sorted files, uploading what he could to a program that would read them aloud for Ignis while the other two attempted to cook supper.

Ignis stood over the prince and gave instructions, vowing to teach him how to make homemade marshmallows. Noct added another handful of peppers to the pan. His hatred of veggies didn’t change, but necessity forced him to eat them anyway. He already forced them through so much suffering, he could at least cook them something decent. “What’s wrong with store bought?” He asked. The pastel bag sat on the counter, half full with star-shaped pieces of sugar.. 

“Highness” Ignis said aghast, like he had just asked to have his coronation nude. “There is absolutely no comparison to-” The lecture was cut short by the sound of gunfire outside. “What on Eos-?” There was no one around for miles. Even the rented cabin was only really used during the warmer months. Gladio took his sword, gesturing for Noct to get ready as he made way to the door. 

Standing in the snow was an MT unit with a second one in pieces at its feet. The survivor was caked with ice and leaves poked out from between plates of armor. Its glowing red gaze found them as it started to speak.

“… Noc...Tis...” It repeated over and over again, like it was trying to remember how as it approached the cabin. The movements were slow and careful. “Noc-tis” The raspy voice was the same one Noct heard in his nightmares.

It took one more limping step forward when Gladio cut it down. There was a sick crunch of metal as its stomach was torn open. It hit the snow and scrambled to keep from losing more black blood. There was a glimmer of blue light as Noctis warped between them, stopping his friend from giving the killing blow. “What the hell are you doing?! Can’t you tell it’s Prompto in there?” He shouted.

Gladio was tired of this. His infatuation with the blonde was going to get him killed. “Out of my way, your Highness. We don’t know that for certain.” 

“Then it’s worth making sure, isn’t it?” Ignis spoke up, always the voice of reason. “Come on, let’s not be hasty.”

At a glance, the MT looked as blank as any machine but there was a touch of something cold on Noct’s hand. Metal claws asking permission to lace their fingers together. The touch only lasted a moment before he had to pull away.

It had to be Prompto, but he could only watch as Gladio guided the MT to a chair. He looked like he could barely stand. What was he going to do? Hobble them to death?

He didn’t struggle as they removed the straps of his mask and helmet, letting them fall to the floor. Their lost friend looked back at them, looking so very tired. His blonde hair was a little longer now, matted in places from blood and sweat. There were scars at the back of his neck that ran down the length of his spine. They could get a good look at the eyes now. The iris rotated, shifting like the lens of a camera as he glanced between them. He waited with the quiet resignation of a soldier ready to die.

“It’s him, Ignis. We found him.” Noctis spoke up at last, the rest of them feeling like they could breathe again. 

A smile spread across Ignis’ face like warm honey. “Thank the Six, how is he?” He asked full of hope, and no one wanted to tell him the truth. Prompto’s arms were too thin and he realized it wasn’t armor, they were prosthetics. Six, what did they do to him?

Noctis wiped away the pained look on his face, brimming with fake confidence “It looks like they tried to turn him into an MT but he kicked their asses right?” He turned back to Prompto, expecting a joke or anything really.

Anything but the silence and the brief flash of betrayal in ruby-colored eyes. 

“C’mon, say something buddy.” Noct gave him a playful nudge. 

Prompto gave him a glance, saying “Battery critically low.” The voice was too even, a flat copy of the original.

“How do we-?” They couldn’t really plug him into a wall socket. “How do we charge you?” Gladio asked, mentally trying to piece a plan together. He knew enough about cars to take apart a snowmobile, they might be able to use the battery…? 

Prompto pulled a metal piece of his shirt pocket, it looked like a port of some kind with wires sticking out of it. Noct could see the hole in his side where it used to be. The click the part made on the table sounded like the astrals saying ‘Fuck You.’ “Hardware failure. Charging not possible. System failure imminent.” The monotone stayed even as if he didn’t just admit his life was running on fumes.

“C’mon, don’t you say that! You didn’t come all this way just to die now.” Noctis didn’t who he was reassuring more. The port would have to be reinstalled, but none of them knew how to perform surgery. It was a few hours to the nearest hospital. A hint of lightning flickered around Noct’s fingers, he really didn’t like this plan. “Prompto, I am so sorry. This is going to hurt but this is the only way we can charge you.”

Gladio restrained him and Noct washed his hands. He didn’t know if it would help, but it seemed at least polite to do before he stuck his hand inside a friend. Prompto’s chest plate had been opened across the stomach. There was a moment of hesitation as they sat facing each other. Blue eyes searching for permission, affection, any hint of the boy he loved in a ruby glow. He wanted nothing more than to kiss him until they woke up from this nightmare. 

“You can’t hurt me, Noctis.” The MT reassured, biting back a sense of humor about this. He was a machine, there was almost nothing of him anymore that was organic. There was nothing left of him to wound. 

Noct took his hand, holding it tightly. He pushed his fingers of his other hand between the jagged metal gap and black blood gushed out. Demonic blood stung at his fingers, he would have to hurry before it started dissolving the flesh. 

He felt around for the right wire, his hand feeling around machinery where his intestines should be. There was nothing that felt human, or even organic. How much of Prompto was still in there? The MT tensed in pain and unconsciously squeezed tighter on his hand. 

Noctis brushed his fingers against the frayed edge of the wire and casted. The voltage started out low, a buzzing in his insides that turned into a hard shock. Something Inside hummed and metal claws tore him out of his body. I guess that’s enough charge.

Noct’s hand was covered in red splotches where the skin had been eaten away. Any longer and he would have lost fingernails. Ignis was ready with a potion, breaking it over his hands. The magic already soothing raw flesh. His hand was a small price to pay if it worked. “How are you feeling?” He asked. 

The blonde’s eyes became more focused, his movements more fluid. He tapped each one of his fingers against the chair as he ran a diagnostic. “Power within acceptable levels. NH Zero-Five-Nine-Five-Three-Two-Three-Four ready for duty.” Prompto thanked them with a smile.

“He thinks he’s an MT.” Gladio fumed, kicking a chair in frustration and sending across the room with a crash. “You are not that dumb!” He shouted as if it would snap the blonde out of a trance.

Prompto flinched as the outburst, an arm shooting up to block a hit that never came. Gladio looked at him in horror. In regret, he took a few steps back. 

Ignis’ voice was soft and soothing like a balm on broken skin. “Do you know the name ‘Prompto’?”

He seemed calmer now but his attention never fully left Gladio. The shield was the obvious threat in the room after all. “Yes. Prompto was a failed MT unit, NH is the superior model.” He answered.

Ignis caught onto a weakness he couldn’t see. “How was he ‘failed’?” He probed. Noctis stepped in protectively, shouting “Ignis!” He shushed the Prince with a wave of his hand, “Understanding his mental state will help us treat him.”

“The Prompto unit was weak, stupid, slow. It failed mission parameters multiple times. Unit was deemed inoperable and was scrapped. NH is the superior model.” The machine didn’t understand why they were so curious about a flawed MT that was nothing but a detriment to them. 

Gladio took a step forward but was stopped by the MT facing him in a movement too quick to be human. He was not afraid of the blonde. “Prompto could be a goofball, but he was our buddy. Tough little squirt with a heart o’ gold.” 

“Unit was an amusement? Fitting.” He hadn’t considered it being used for entertainment value. A toy used and thrown away. It matched previous data on the subject. “May I return to my post now?” He asked, wanting the interrogation to end.

“What Gladio was trying to say was that Prompto was a great friend to us and a valuable ally. It is good to have you back with us in any form.”

Prompto responded by bolting to his feet, leaving with his mask in tow. He wasn’t going to listen to lies. “I will check the perimeter and return shortly.” He spat as he went out the door.

If he kept the mask on, he could pretend to be a machine. MTs didn’t have insecurities or body issues or nightmares. They didn’t feel anything, and only lived for their mission. Right now that sounded like heaven. 

NH didn’t care about scars, or being abandoned by his friends. Being useful was enough, if it was as a bodyguard or to keep Noct warm when he would never really love him back. It would have to be enough.

Because being Prompto was killing him.

He didn’t register being followed until a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. Noct held him tightly, burying his face into the blonde’s shoulder. “It's been absolute hell without you, so don't think for a minute that we don't love you to death.”

Prompto put a hand over his, metal fingers looked like needles next to Noct’s. He couldn't bring himself to push him away. “But since some people decided to be assholes and make you forget, I’m gonna hug you until you remember.” The heavy MT coat did little to soften the new edges of his chest and arms. Noct was going to get bruises holding him like this, but the prince didn't care. 

The blonde wasn’t going to cry. “This is not-I'm covered in demon goo.” Noct only hugged him tighter. Prompto whined. “Noctis, I’m a Niff. A mass-produced clone they stuff into MTs”

“Doesn't matter, I still love you.”

“What if I turn against you?”

“You haven’t so far.”

“...” This is getting ridiculous. “I’m an abomination against nature.”

“Fuck nature.” Noctis seethed. “Nature made bugs and beans. It is no judge of decency or quality.” 

Prompto reached up and took off the mask. It felt like forever since skin and freckles felt like a face. Even longer since it wasn't something to be ashamed of. “You… You really want to do this? With me?” He said in disbelief. 

Noctis responded by pulling him into a kiss. It was slow and lingering, savoring each moment like he was never going to see him again. Metal fingers curled into his coat and pulled him closer. “I mean, I'm gonna get jealous as hell if Cindy starts giving you tune-ups but I'll deal.” He said with a smile. “Cheap jokes aside, I know that a hug won't erase what happened to you but I want to be there with whatever you need. Hugs? An ass you want kicked? Shoulder to cry on? Change your batteries? I'm your man. Now and forever.” He promised, pressing their foreheads together.

“I’d like that.”  
...  
“It’s all my fault” Gladio stated, looking into his drink as if there were answers at the bottom of the glass. Ignis put a hand on his arm as comfort, “You know that’s not true.”

He didn’t listen, asking “Six, why didn’t anyone tell me I was such an asshole?”

Noctis snorted, looking up from the TV. “I tell you that all the time.” 

“I’m talking about with Prompto, not waking you up before noon.” Every dumb blonde joke he ever made tasted sour on his tongue. His mind played back every harsh word, each memory of Prompto looking to him for approval and being shot down. It was no secret that Gladio didn’t trust him at all when they first met. 

Prompto was some snot-nosed brat clinging to the Prince’s coattails and getting him in trouble. He’d get calls at 2am about Noctis being missing, sending the Citadel on high alert only to find the two of them making out in an arcade. It wasn’t until later that he found out that Prompto talked him out of running away from home. The kid did a lot more to keep them sane than they realized. “If I had known I was hurting him, I never would have-” 

Ignis kept an ear on the shower running in the background, “I know.”

“I should do something. Apologize at least.”  
...  
Prompto denied the meal but took the shower gladly. Despite his protests, Ingis replaced his MT uniform with actual clothing. Noctis made a comment about taking him to Cindy for a ‘proper Lucian paintjob‘. There was something appealing about being covered in the royal black-and-gold. 

It was just a t-shirt and black jeans, but he felt naked. He body was so radically different now. He couldn't eat, didn't really ‘sleep’ anymore. He shyly picked at the hem of the shirt, thinking of how there was nothing organic below his ribcage. His arms, legs, hips, shoulders- were replaced with recycled metal. The empire was evil, but at least they were environmentally-friendly.

A wolf whistle snapped him out of grim thoughts and he whipped around to see Noctis leaning against the bedroom door. Blue eyes ran over him in worship, memorizing each detail. It made Prompto blush. 

“H-How long have you been there?” He asked.

“Long enough to enjoy the view. Choco-boy lookin’ badass.” Noct ran a hand up polished steel arms, feeling the hum of machinery under his fingertips. At once, he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. “Six, I missed you so much.” He whispered, placing a kiss on the base of his neck. 

Noctis wanted to spend each day showing Prompto how much he loved him, so there would never be another minute where he thought he was unloved.


	2. Chapter 2

Visions of bright lights filled his head, but he could catch people moving in the edges of his eyes. Some brought him things, others took them away on silver trays. Their white uniforms splattered with color. Prompto’s body refused to move, even turning his head was too much to bear. A part of his brain was screaming at him to run, to fight, or he was going to die. There was somewhere he needed to be, but it was so comfortable here. 

He was warm and numb, like there was layers of blankets between him and the prodding. Strange hands moving each of his fingers in turn, testing their full range of movement. There was only pressure as he felt something tug at his wrist and suddenly he couldn’t feel his hand anymore. 

It was better than the beatings, he thought. If it wasn’t for the screaming in his head this would be relaxing. He would become stronger, faster, better, something that could protect those he loved.  
…  
Prompto came out of stasis to the feeling of lips on his forehead. Noct whispered sweet nothings into his skin. His body like a furnace between the sheets. How are you feeling?” Noctis asked, one of his hands idly tracing a scar where metal met skin. 

He was littered with purple bruises where their bodies touched and the blonde couldn’t resist a pang of guilt at that. “This can’t be comfortable for you dude. I can sleep on the couch or-” 

Noct cut him off by draped himself over his boyfriend possessively. Prompto had insisted on going to bed in long-sleeve pajamas and pants, hiding as much of himself as he could. Hoping to pretend that he was human for a few hours.

Noctis didn’t seem to share that hesitation. He went to bed wearing tiny shorts and cuddled like it was his last night alive. “I'm in bed with my gorgeous Prompto; my sun, my stars, my darling choco~” Prompto blushed, burying his face in his hands. “How could I not be comfortable?” He pulled Prompto’s hands away to kiss his lips. No matter how much of a monster he was, Noct adored him. 

“You're such a dork.”

“I’m your dork. Do you know how hard it is not to put you on a leash? You are never leaving my sight again.” Noct promised, his fingers raked through blonde hair. Prompto hummed at the feeling of short fingernails on his scalp. A leash sounded good. And a collar. 

A tug on his hair pulled his head back, making him face his boyfriend. “Mine” Noctis growled and Prompto couldn’t resist a smile, promising back “Yours” 

“Good boy” Noctis rewarded him with a peck on the cheek. He was never going to lose Prompto again, and anyone that hurt him was going to suffer the wrath of the King. 

Prompto found his backpack in with Noct’s things, his clothing freshly laundered. Next to it was his camera equipment and parts for his guns. “Surprised you kept my clothes.” He said with a forced laugh. 

The heavy boxes nothing more than dead weight. It was a waste to lug around supplies for four, but they had a Prompto-shaped gap in their lives waiting to be filled. Leaving it behind was admitting he wasn’t coming back.

“Wait, then why am I wearing your clothes?” Prompto asked, blushing. Noctis laughed.  
...  
They were lured out of bed by the smell of actual food. Gladio never made breakfast, and rarely made something that wasn't burnt or instant. They were stunned by the sight of Ignis in an apron. “I made breakfast, you two must be starving.”

“Iggy, you cooked?” Noct asked in a panic. 

Ignis dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand. “It’s just scrambled eggs and bacon. I need to learn to do things by myself you know.” Gladio was glaring daggers at the back of the man’s head. He looked like he just survived a heart attack.

Prompto sat at the table with a mug of coffee. He liked the warmth of it and if he brought it to his lips, they wouldn’t know he wasn’t actually drinking. “Aah, haven’t you heard? The motor oil diet is all the rage right now.” He joked, but no one laugh. “I actually can’t eat anything, the occasional oil change and tune-up are all I really need.” 

He tried once before when he first escaped. Shoving handfuls of stale chips into his mouth in denial of what he had become. It was dumb mistake that ended up with vomiting and being nauseous for days. He thought he was dying. There was nothing quite as repulsive as washing out chewed potato out of his gears.

“Where’s my-?” Prompto started, glancing around for his missing MT coat. 

Ignis coughed before explaining, “I feel that I am to blame for that. My stubbornness exceeded my grasp and I may have mistaken it for kindling cloth.” Gladio rolled his eyes. “My sincerest apologizes. I will gladly replace the garment when we get to town.”

“Uh, town?” Prompto asked confused. They couldn't be serious about taking him along. The mere idea of crowds was enough to make him queasy. Too many blind-spots, too many threats.

“You’re comin’ with, so don’t even start. You are still a member of the team.” Gladio said grinning, putting a hand on the back of Prompto’s chair. “We still need to get that port of yours-” He leaned in close enough to smell his aftershave. A harsh sound flashed in his head and then Prompto heard shouting.

He blinked and he was back in control of his body, suddenly rewinding what happened.

The mug was broken at his feet, hot liquid staining his socks. Gladio stepped too close and he shoved him back. Noctis was gently easing a knife out of his hand. Disengage, acquire weapon, kill if enemy persists. If his friend had taken more step forward, he would have buried that knife in his throat. 

“Whoa-whoa, you know I wouldn’t hurt you right?” The Gladio promised, using a soft tone reserved for a spooked animal. He was at a loss, looking over to Ignis for help. He didn’t know how to comfort someone that was terrified to be near him.

“I know, it’s not-It’s not you, okay? I’m sorry.” Prompto tried to explain and failed. “I’m sorry.” He repeated, cleaning up the broken mug. His hands were shaking.

The shield was so much bigger than he was, and until recently, far stronger. Gladio could pick up his old body and break it like it was nothing. And he did, sometimes furious and often laughing. But it wasn’t actually him. It was Ardyn wearing his face and staining his memories. His poisoned fingers dug in so deep, it was hard to remember what was real. 

There was a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. The touch was something solid in a storm. “What did he do to you?” Noctis asked softly, dancing between keeping his distance and pulling him closer. He didn’t know the right choice.

Prompto’s mouth felt like it was sealed shut. 

Ignis seemed to understand. He tried with a different question, something smaller. ”How much of you did they take?” It was pure coincidence that he was centered between him and his rifle.

The blonde shrugged, “I still have most of my head and neck, some internal organs. Lungs and stuff.” The scientists made a big deal about keeping his liver viable, so he guessed it was important. His human parts seemed so disgusting at the time, causing him nothing but pain. But pressed against Noct this morning, there was something wonderful about being soft for him.

“How are you mentally speaking? We heard that you had been tortured.” Ignis asked, the mere mention of the word ‘torture’ making Prompto cringe. As if denying the word would keep Ardyn’s ghost away.

“Bad.” He blurted out before realizing what that said. “Not like ‘Kill all humans’-bad, more like… You ever feel like you’re trapped inside your own body?” Even he wasn’t sure what he was trying to say. “I was captured and somewhere down the line...I just shut down. I couldn’t cry, I couldn’t scream anymore because it stopped feeling like me after a while. I went numb. Ardyn thought he had broken me. He got bored and figured it would be funny to make me into an MT.”

Prompto was grateful his friend was blind, he couldn’t handle those piercing eyes on him right now. Looking at Noctis was out of the question. “I escaped and found you guys. Honestly, I expected to get killed on sight.” Out there, there was only survival and the thought of seeing them one last time. Being treated as a human again was not something he thought possible. He suddenly plastered on a sickly-sweet smile “Not that I’m complaining though!” 

Ignis wrapped his arms around him and Prompto felt like a child in his grasp. He choked back a sob, Prompto promised not to cry anymore. “I’m sorry” Ignis said suddenly. “I should have been there.” 

Prompto pushed him away but gently this time. He didn’t need comfort, he needed the conversation to be over. “I was dumb, it’s my fault.”   
...  
They still decided to take him into town despite his protests. Gladio and Ignis sat in the backseat of the Regalia, the former trying to be non-threatening. Prompto was allowed to wear his mask during the drive. It made him feel better. 

The town was Imperial-occupied, so low-profile became the keyword. 

They were busy trying to find someone that could install a charging port in an MT. There was a debate on if a doctor or a mechanic would be better. He wanted to fix it himself, but it was too far inside for him to reach.

“So he thinks he’s an MT?” Asked the doctor, giving the boy a quick once-over. He was a crinkled face old man with round glasses and talked like he wasn’t there. At least he gave him a bright green lollipop. Prompto couldn’t eat it but it was the thought that counts.

The exam room stunk of flowered disinfectant and he was amused to see that doctor’s had the same banal posters no matter the country. Ignis sat nearby on a padded bench. He would have preferred a Lucian doctor, but they had to work with what they had. Noctis may be more harm than good here, but he adamantly refused to leave his boyfriend’s side. He held Prompto’s hand through the surgery, switching between comforting him and and being ready to murder someone.

Prompto’s chest was opened up and the Prince could see his insides. 

The remaining internal organs were protected in bags of liquid-filled plastic. None of them were the color they should be. If he had been human, the doctor would have declared him to be dead within the hour. Tubes of demon blood coiled in-and-out of his insides and Noct was focused on the soft light of LEDs within. He didn’t know what any of it was for, but he wanted to find out.

“What’s this?” The doctor said more to himself than the others. He reached over for a pair of metal forceps to pull out a foreign object out of his guts, a closer look revealed it to be a ring made of silver and obsidian. 

“Ah...” Noctis stared at his missing ring in horror, a blush creeping up his face.

Prompto shoved it into his pocket, offering a choice piece of advice “Always take your rings off before fisting someone.”

“That’s not what happened!”

After the port was fixed, the doctor let him take the rest of the candy jar. Prompto gave him a packet of rainbow candies as a ‘thank you’. He gave out a few more handfuls on his way out the door. “No more than two pieces before supper.” Ignis said the moment Noct’s hand reached into the jar. Somehow he detected the minute difference of crinkling wrappers.

The Prince froze. “How does he do that?” 

Prompto laughed, “He has mom-powers, man.”   
...  
With that disaster solved, the others were focused on shopping but he couldn’t help but feel like an imposter. He became hyper-aware of every detail that made him non-human; the hum of his engine, the odd shape of his limbs. Gladio’s sunglasses wanted to slide off his nose. He wanted his mask back. 

The hardware store was too bright and Noctis was reading labels on bottles of motor oil. His cart was stuffed full of different-sized bolts, car wax, and anything else a renegade MT might need. Prompto tried to assure him that he was fine. He had a bag full of cannibalized supplies, but Noct wanted him to have the best. They had a giggle at an obscenely large jug that read MEGA LUBE on the side. 

He was reading labels out loud but Prompto wasn’t listening. 

The blonde was fixated on the store’s large windows, watching MT units patrolling the streets. He caught faint electronic conversations as they walked past. There were little silent chirps that meant things like “I am here” and “You are authorized”. A part of him was jealous. They had never known hesitation or doubt, their entire existence condensed down to a single purpose.

At the back of the store, there was an MT standing guard by the weapons display. It was still enough that anyone could mistake it for a statue, but he could hear the hum of its parts. Feeling brave, he walked up to it.

A glowing set of eyes fixated on him and Prompto flashed his own over the thick rim of his sunglasses. “I am NH Zero-Five-Nine-Five-Three-Two-Three-Four, I am on patrol.” He tried to say, matching the tones he heard outside. The MT stared back, processing for a moment before pinging back “Unit authorized. Resume patrol.” 

Excited, he reached out to tell his friend when he caught a horrible sound from outside. It was an MT call he had never heard before. Two low notes and then a stretch of silence before he heard it again. It was a distress signal.

“Promptoooo” Noctis whined, frustrated at the dozens of brand names in front of him. “Why are there so many different types of-?” His question died in his throat, replaced by a cold creeping fear. 

His boyfriend was gone.  
...  
Noctis was gone in a flash, warping up buildings to get a better vantage point. If anything happened to him-! His forgiveness for his enemies had long since ran out, he would burn the city down if it meant finding him. 

He finally found Prompto crouched down in an alley, completely focused on something. Noct’s arms snapped around the blonde’s waist, holding him tightly. “Don’t you ever leave me again.” He pleaded, his metal feeling cold on his skin. Then he saw what he was looking at. 

Stuffed between garbage cans was a broken MT unit. Its legs and armor had been taken for scrap. Prompto had pried open its chest, revealing an inside corroded with black sludge. An artery had come loose and it had probably bled out until it collapsed. 

He followed the binary pings as it waited for a retrieval that never came. “It broke down and they just left it here, it’s still alive.” He explained. How many MTs had passed this alley, wanting to help but never being allowed to? 

“Is there anything we can do?” Noct asked. 

“I don’t know. If we charge it, it will end up attacking you or someone else. It only has enough for about an hour.” All power had been diverted to keeping the signal and the brain functioning, and even that was starting to fail. It couldn’t see or hear them.

“What happens when it’s empty?”

“Without power, the brain stops getting oxygen. It suffocates within minutes and dies.” The only thing left would be to recycle the mechanical parts and put someone else inside.

“Fuck, that was going to be you?”

He didn’t answer, instead plugging a phone into the fallen MT’s processing core. It wasn’t the slick Kingsglaive one from before, that had been broken the moment he fell. This was a cheap flip model he found after he escaped. He couldn’t call anyone on it, but it still had its uses.

He typed out a few lines of code, trying a few times before he got one that worked. There was a hiss from the MT and the single light in its chest went out. It was gone.

Prompto told it that its mission was a complete success and thanked it for all it did for the country, ending it with a lethal dose of dopamine. 

He imagined a big “You Win!” screen flashing before its eyes with rainbow letters. It was silly, but he clung to the idea of heaven for MTs being a big arcade. Someplace computerized and fun, where no one really got hurt. 

There had to be something more for them than this painful half-life they were born into.

Noctis must have understood what happened. He didn’t say anything, instead holding his hand as they looked for the others.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thank you for reading this. I wanted to write something bittersweet about the blonde boy that desperately needs some love. I might turn this into a series, exploring Prompto's journey of self-acceptance and the party dealing with post-levaithan trauma. And MT robot body horror.


End file.
